In the year 2000, this spirited lady became Miss World at the age of 18. At 36, desi girl Priyanka Powerhouse Chopra has come a long way from there, with a legendary success story that shows women how unstoppable they can be. We love her not just for her smoldering looks, her fiery attitude or her dazzling sense of style but also for the inspiring life she leads. In a short span of time, she has taken the world by storm with her work and achievements, compelling us, at What She Likes, to compile a list of things to learn from her.

1.Hard Work:

She took on quite challenging roles right from the beginning of her career. From playing negative and grey characters in movies such as Aitraaz, Fashion and Saat Khoon Maaf to playing inspirational and extraordinary roles in movies such as Mary Kom, Bajirao Mastaani, and Barfi, she has outdone herself time and again. And the secret behind her success is – hard work, hard work, and hard work! She lets nothing get in her way and keeps going. “It is ultimately about mind over matter. I learned very early in my career that when I don’t arrive on set, production will shut down, which means people won’t get paid; there’s that much responsibility. So I learned that whatever it is, you have to show up for the job, and power through,” she said to a leading online magazine.

2. Never Limiting Oneself:

One of the most inspiring things about Priyanka Chopra is that she never let anybody tell her what a Bollywood actress is capable of doing. After working with the top directors of Bollywood such as Vishal Bhardwaj and Sanjay Leela Bhansali and giving award-winning performances, this iconic diva has bagged the lead roles in a primetime US television series, Quantico and the movie Baywatch. Not wanting to stop at acting, she became a singer, churning out catchy tunes solo as well as with leading names of the music industry such as Pitbull. She also became a producer, taking on some really creative and meaningful projects such as the Marathi movie, Ventilator. Along with this, she has become the first Indian to model for and become the new face of international fashion brand, Guess. She also became the first Bollywood star to be signed to CAA, a powerhouse talent agency in Los Angeles that also represents stars such as Oprah Winfrey, Jennifer Aniston, and Mariah Carey. Priyanka has shown us how to be versatile and live life spherically, without ever limiting yourself to one aspiration.

3.Thinking Beyond Oneself:

Apart from being a successful movie and television celebrity, Priyanka Chopra is known for being a philanthropist. Her life is not just about her own success but also about making the world around her a better place for everybody to live in. She has authored newspaper columns in various national papers and used her platform in The Times of India to speak out against violence against women. In fact, she’s been a long-time advocate of women’s rights and has campaigned, for years, against female infanticide. She has also championed causes such as gender equality, banning slavery and human trafficking, conservation, human rights, and children. “I can’t eradicate poverty, but at least for the people around me, I can help make sure no child is denied a dream…” she was quoted as saying to a popular news portal, when asked about the charity she began over a decade back, The Priyanka Chopra Foundation for Health and Education. In addition to her private foundation, Chopra serves as an ambassador for Girl Rising, the campaign to improve girls’ education globally, and Girl Up, a United Nations Foundation. She was also appointed as a National Ambassador to UNICEF for children’s rights in 2010. She has become an example not just of a successful human being but of a good one too.

4.Being A Trailblazer for Women:

Besides championing women-related causes, this wonder woman of Asia leads her life as a message to women. Right from being the proud recipient of the fourth highest civilian award of the country, the Padmashri to breaking industry stereotypes and going on to become one of the highest paid actors in Bollywood, she has become a role model for the women of India. It comes as no surprise that she became the only Indian female celebrity to feature in top 10 of Forbes Indian Celebrity 100 list. The Forbes list ranks celebrities based on their annual income, and Priyanka Chopra managed to beat MS Dhoni and Hrithik Roshan to claim the seventh position. She also likes portraying the strength of a woman through her work. In an interview with a leading online magazine, she was quoted as saying, “Every character that I play, even if it’s a homemaker, there is an inherent, innate strength in her—you can find strength in every facet of a female personality.”

5. Not letting haters get to you:

Being larger than life woman comes at a price. In Priyanka’s case, that price has been the media trashing she has had to face and the controversies that she has been dragged into, time and again over the years. The media has put her on trial for everything from whether her friendship with Deepika Padukone has soured and the rumors of her affair with Shahrukh Khan to her quitting the upcoming movie with Salman Khan and the age gap between her and her fiancé, Nick Jonas. She has steered forth with a steady focus, not letting any of this drag her down. She has drowned out the gossip and caustic comments with her accomplishments, and she has continued to live life on her own terms, unapologetic about her choices.

When we, at What She Likes, see Priyanka Chopra, we see a force to reckon with, a dedicated performer, a true humanitarian, and a phenomenal woman who is still daddy’s little girl. So, we believe that she deserves every bit of the love and happiness that she found with Nick Jonas and we would like to wish them a lifetime of togetherness. May she keep inspiring us and redefining the ideal Desi Girl.